Like most other tech sectors, the cleantech world is subject to fads that are overhyped — meteoric rises, sometimes followed by spectacular flameouts. It seems like we humans like to create heroes and then tear them down.

There’s a particular tendency to sing the praises of the latest “hot company”: the one that has the best investors, is on the fastest growth path, offers the coolest product.

The Apple link is not coincidental: the co-founders are Tony Fadell (who created the iPod) and Matt Rogers (who led the development of the iPhone). One look at the Nest and the Apple lineage becomes crystal clear. Surely, Nest would have called their product the iStat if they could get away with it.

As with Apple, arguably the key advancement offered by Nest is the human interface. Programmable thermostats have been around for years, but most users have found them bothersome. Nest aims to make the functionality as intuitive as Apple has with their devices, therein revolutionizing the way that households manage their heating and cooling requirements — and, by extension, their energy consumption.

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We got the Nest a few months ago- love it. I really think it helps to control energy use and recognize when you need it most, plus it looks really cool on the wall and lights up when you walk by. One night my husband decided to turn the heat up to 80 when he was out of town, just to see how long it took me to notice the difference in the house. It took me 6 minutes. Even though my dog is not a fan, I like the vacation mode feature that automatically senses when you're away and reduces the temperature.

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[…] Like most other tech sectors, the cleantech world is subject to fads that are overhyped — meteoric rises, sometimes followed by spectacular flameouts. It seems like we humans like to create heroes and then tear them down. There’s a particular tendency to sing the praises of the latest “hot company”: the one that has the […] Cleantech Blog […]